Summer
by lila.roxo
Summary: A blast from the past catches up with Mick, Beth and Josef.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: If they were mine, there would be more leather pants involved.

**Summary**: A blast from the past catches up with Mick, Beth and Josef.

**AN**: the title is still tentative; if I come up with something more suited to the story line it'll be changed. There is a single line here that isn't mine (He could smell the sunlight on her skin), and if you've watched TB you'll pick it out at once ;) .Other than that, this is set some time in a post Sonata future. Crossposted at LiveJournal and Moonlightaholics.

**AN the last, but never the least:** Thank you very, very much to Redwinter101, Sleo, Phoenix and Rijane , and every one else at the Mini Writer's Workshop at ML4ever for reading this chapter and giving me priceless advice and honest critique. You're are amazing, each and every one of you.

**Chapter One**

Beth murmured and turned in her sleep to face him. Summer was here and Beth was tanned, all golden tones and warmth; he could smell the sunlight on her skin. Last night they had forgotten to close the drapes, and the sun dripped onto her skin. Mick closed his eyes as he tightened his arm around Beth. The sun stung but it was a good hurt. For a little more time in bed he'd take it. Beth stirred at the pressure of him against her.

"Mmm," she said. "It's hot."

Mick smiled and stretched out, his cool skin soothing her. "Yes it is."

Her eyes opened and she blinked blearily at the bright sun. Then she sat up and looked down at Mick; the sheets pooled around her waist.

"Are you okay or is it too bright?"

Mick propped his head up in his palm. He let his eyes wander a hot path across a bare Beth.

"No, I think the light is just bright enough, Beth."

He loved her blush. It spread from her cheekbones to her neck and collarbone and warmed the air with its color. He opened his arms to her and she slid against him, slipping her legs between his with an easy sigh. He pressed his lips against her hair and felt her awaken, inch by inch and a blink at a time.

Beth pressed her warm mouth against his collarbone, his neck, his temple, small brushing and lingering kisses; he shivered and rolled them until she was splayed across his chest. He leaned up to kiss her but she set her head more firmly against the crook of his neck.

"No," she said. "Morning breath." With her head against his chest, she heard his deep laughter bubbling up and she smiled.

"You smell delicious to me."

"I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again: vampires make really bad liars."

In reply, Mick stroked her back and her hair for a few moments. The sun began to burn: first his skin tingled, sensitive, then his sight clouded with spots and dancing lines, pain etched deep inside his muscles. His flesh rippled. Mick flipped them over and dropped a kiss on Beth's surprised lips.

"I'll get coffee if you want to take a quick shower," he said.

"Good for sex _and_ coffee. I just might keep you, Mick St John."

"But who says I'll keep _you_?"

That earned him a swat and a snort.

As Mick made his way to the kitchen, Beth rolled over in the bed groaned. She was so tired that she only sneaked a couple of looks at Mick as he moved away, bare. He must have the weight of her gaze on him, because he turned and gave her one of the looks she loved, hot and smoky, before breaking her caught breath and bitten lips with a half-smile, and a robe.

She slowly got out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom, left hand tangling in her hair. The shower was cold and soothing in the heat. Beth finished washing up before the cold seeped in too deep and stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a robe and a towel around her head. She brushed her teeth and put on some make-up, before she heard muted and hushed voices coming from the kitchen.

Mick's voice was unmistakable to her and the other person sounded like Josef but she wasn't sure. She hesitated, then instead of blowing her hair dry, she opened the bathroom door a crack (_to let the steam out, of course_, she thought), wrapped herself in her own robe, and began to towel her hair dry.

The voices drifted in.

"….Why now?" Mick said.

Beth wished she could hear more than snippets.

"How am I… She thinks that…"

"Josef, it doesn't make any…"

There was a loud bang, fist against metal counter, and Beth started.

"Mick, this is dangerous… maybe leave…"

_Did he say leave the country?_ she wondered and laid off the toweling to hear better.

"…not… she won't run me off."

"…Beth say?"

There was a moment of ugly silence. Beth nudged the door open a bit more and stepped into her room softly.

"Beth doesn't know, does she?"

Another moment of quiet, broken by Josef's ironic laugh.

"I'd have thought Blondie would know all about it by now."

"Josef, I can't just… She wouldn't… It isn't that easy, okay?"

"That's fine. That's good. Just don't come sulking to me when she tries to dump your ass. Again."

"She won't find out about this if you know what's good for you," Mick said.

Beth thought that she could hear a bit of a growl in Mick's voice. And what did he think? That she was that naïve? Of course she'd know something was wrong. She was a reporter. She was _paid_ to be nosy. It was her way of life since she'd been six and taken and decided that chance wasn't a fair way of living.

Beth edged closer to the open bedroom door and caught sight of Josef as he opened her front door.

"Sure, sure." Josef waved dismissively. He paused just before closing the door, and smirked, he turned to look directly at her, "Oh, hey, Beth. Good to see you."

Mick whirled around and his eyes snapped to her.

_Damn_, Beth thought, _and I was so close_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pairing**: M/B, J.

**Disclaimer**: if the ML characters were mine, they would dance for my pleasure. Alas, they do not belong to me, but to Joel : PG-13. It gets a bit dark this chapter, but remains well within the PG designation.

**AN**: this is the second chapter of Summer (title still tentative). The idea of this multi-chapter is to present the story as a series of vignettes, each placed within six months from each other. This way, some chapters will be Summer, and some will be Winter.

**AN2**: thank you very, very much for Redwinter101 and Hydriotaphia at the Writer's Workshop thread for their incredible advice. I love it when you two nitpick ;) .

**Winter **

**Six months later**

The sun rose, golden streaks of day running past until they drowned in the horizon. Street lamps flicked on and struck light into the recesses of the city, deep inside the concrete and dirty glass.

As Mick slept, he dreamed of her, and woke with a shudder and spilled words at dusk. For a few precious seconds, he let himself linger inside the cold and think of her. But he only allowed himself a moment.

He moved to the kitchen in stumbles, his gaze trained on his hidden refrigerator and the vials of blood inside. His hands shook as he filled the syringe and slid the needle deep inside the crook of his arm.

The blood felt good inside him, direct into his veins and through his eyes and out with his gasp. He let his arms and gaze fall on the metal counter. The reflected light hurt his eyes.

He leaned away from the counter, stumbled back up the stairs, moved to get ready.

An ice cold shower to wake him and clothes to hide his hard skin, a harsh comb of his hair without looking in the mirror. He scratched his stubble; too long but he left it for tomorrow.

As he attempted to close his shirt, his fingers wouldn't cooperate and refused to loop the small buttons properly. In the end, frustration won out and he donned a gray t-shirt instead, with his oldest pair of jeans.

He stepped barefoot to the hallway and paused before the stairs, breathing in deep again. He had company. Decay, cologne, rot, whiskey, iron and wine, and salt, women, starch.

Josef.

Mick blinked but continued, eyes on each step and ears trained to the sound of tinkling glass. Josef was sprawled on Mick's couch, alone this time. Good.

"Mick, _how wonderful to see you_, and after such a long time, too."

He greeted Josef with a sigh and went to pour himself a glass, gulped it with tongue tucked under teeth and the taste of the blood denied. He drank again and finished it, slammed the cup against the metal. The bang surprised him and he snapped his eyebrows together. He hadn't meant to break the glass.

"Why, Mick, is than any way to greet your best friend of decades?"

"Josef, I… have work to do."

Quiet creaking and soft footfalls as Josef rose from the couch and stalked closer. Mick felt Josef's light hand on his shoulder and whirled away. His throat hurt. He swallowed and looked up at Josef.

Josef's eyes were blank, careful. He lowered his hand to his side like molasses through air.

"Mick, maybe you should come out with me for a while, play some golf, get drunk, beat a bad guy up, you know, a typical day in the life of an avenger."

Mick sighed. "Not tonight."

"When was the last time you got out of your apartment for something that wasn't a case?"

Mick shifted his weight and crossed his arms, attempting to keep the spark of guilt out of his eyes. He knew when he had last gone out. It had been three days ago. He had gone to _her_.

"Man, do you know how to carry your women around. First Coraline, now Beth," Josef said as he took a step closer, mouth and tongue formed in the aftermath of her name.

At the sound of her name, Mick rippled like whiplash, muscles snapping and stretching with tension. A creak as the metal under his hands protested. Grinding as his jaw clenched to chip his teeth.

"You should go," Mick said.

Josef hesitated.

In that small pause, Mick remembered the first month after his big blow-up with Beth. God, it hurt to even think her name.

Josef had come that first month, snark and edges as always, but bearing gifts. First he had brought whiskey. He had no doubt hoped to burn the scent of her away, but Mick could still see the shards of glass from the bottle embedded in his wall.

Then it had been freshies tossed into his lap, bleeding and giggling and warm arms winding around his neck. Mick didn't particularly care to remember his reaction to that.

And then, Josef's desperation had won over common sense and he had sent Mick call girls. Three at a time, none of them blond. Josef had made sure of that.

Anger shivered up Mick's spine and his attention snapped back to Josef, who was waxing lyrical about the beneficial qualities of heavy drinking and fresh air with a fanged friend.

"Josef. Go."

Josef hesitated again, his glance flicking, taking in the tumbled books. Stained walls from the broken bottle of whiskey and needles strewn on the counter like crushed centipedes.

"Go! Now," said Mick, anger getting the best of him. He knew it was ridiculous but he couldn't stop himself from lashing, just as he couldn't stop his dreams and mumbled words during his sleep.

Josef sighed and cast one last careful look at Mick and then he turned to the entrance, hands straightening clothes, and opened the door, stepped outside.

"I'll call you later," Josef said quietly, and closed the door.


End file.
